After cleaning her clothes, Cipher surveyed the chaotic washroom, a headache already forming. Though she had confidently declared she would tidy up, laziness now gripped her, leaving her utterly unwilling to lift a finger.
While Aria would likely help if asked, Cipher couldn't shake the feeling that it would be unfair.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. She slipped into the oversized slippers provided by the inn and began shuffling around the washroom, the slippers slapping against the floor with a loud thwack-thwack. Every so often, she tapped the wooden tub, creating the impression of diligent cleaning. After about a minute of this charade, Cipher called out, "Aria, I'm done! You can take your bath now!"
When Aria arrived, she found the washroom spotless and gleaming, not a speck of dust in sight. "Wow, that was fast!" she exclaimed.
"Of course~" Cipher replied, one hand on her hip, her tail swaying slightly behind her. Inwardly, she marveled at the convenience of the Divine Authority of Trickery.
Once Aria believed the lie that Cipher had cleaned, the lie transformed into reality. Now, in Cipher's eyes too, the washroom appeared perfectly clean.
However, if another person were to enter the washroom at that moment—say, Feidric suddenly came by—they would see it in its original, uncleaned state. After all, Feidric had no knowledge of Cipher's lie, let alone any reason to believe it.
Theoretically, if Feidric saw the uncleaned washroom, this would conflict with Aria's perception of it. A brief conversation between them would likely expose the lie, causing the washroom to revert to its original state.
Cipher wore a thoughtful expression. The Divine Authority of Trickery, while powerful, came with significant limitations. Mastering this ability would require considerable effort, she realized.
Meanwhile, Aria finished her shower as usual in the washroom that should have been a mess. Tying a towel around her wet hair, she emerged completely naked, showing no embarrassment at Cipher's presence.
Cipher glanced at Aria briefly before looking away. After all, Aria's figure was too flat to hold her interest; she'd rather admire her own reflection.
After Aria finished drying her hair and changed into her pajamas, Cipher suddenly said, "Aria, how about some special training?"
"Special training?" Aria asked, puzzled. "What kind of training?"
"The kind that makes you stronger, of course!" Cipher replied. "How about we work on your flexibility and agility together?"
Cipher had just decided she wanted to "groom" Aria, but after giving it some thought, she realized she didn't have much to teach her. After all, her own fighting style relied entirely on brute force, and Aria's combat skills might even surpass her own.
Then it struck her: If I can't improve her technique, I can at least boost her stats! Not that she expected Aria to reach her own absurdly high levels, but any improvement would be a step in the right direction.
Cipher recalled Aria's daily routine. When not on missions, Aria would laze in bed until Cipher called her for breakfast. Afterward, she would typically spend the morning cooped up in their inn room, chatting with Cipher, Feidric, and Douglas, or dragging them into folk card games.
In the afternoons, Aria would casually stroll through town, looking for people who needed help. Now, as evening approached, she was about to snuggle into bed with her well-worn copy of Legend of the Demon King and the Hero, a novel she had devoured countless times.
Honestly, this is ridiculous! Cipher thought, exasperated. She's practically a NEET! Doesn't she ever exercise? How is someone like that supposed to save the world?!
Does helping old ladies cross the street make you stronger? Does reading novels make you stronger?
(Actually, for Aria, it kind of does, though the progress is painfully slow.)
Regardless, Cipher decided to supervise Aria's daily training from that moment onward. "Aria," she said, "you don't rely on heavy armor in combat, so improving your flexibility would be beneficial."
While all Paladins ultimately rely on spamming Divine Smite to cut down enemies, their combat styles still varied. Take Black Knight Natalie, whom they had encountered earlier, for example. She wore full plate armor and favored head-on clashes, so her flexibility was irrelevant—she never bothered dodging enemy attacks anyway.
Aria wore leather armor, which allowed for far greater agility than heavy plate. Her combat style naturally favored hit-and-run tactics and evasive maneuvers.
The real reason Aria didn't wear heavy armor was her humble origins. Growing up in a poor rural village, her family couldn't afford metal armor; leather was the best she could afford.
Even though Aria now had the means for better gear, she had grown so accustomed to fighting in leather armor that switching to heavier armor would likely be counterproductive.
Aria nodded. "So... how should I train?"
"That's easy! Just follow my lead." Cipher stood on one leg, raising her other foot straight above her head until her calf pressed snugly against her cheek, her five adorable toes, painted with golden nail polish, pointing towards the ceiling. "See? Like this."
"What?!" Aria froze, then shook her head frantically. "No, no, no way! That's impossible!"
"Don't be scared! It's simple," Cipher said casually. For her current body, performing a standing split was child's play. After all, Cats were soft-bodied creatures; wasn't that perfectly reasonable?
Cipher had clearly forgotten that in her previous life, she'd struggled to lift her leg even ninety degrees, let alone do a full split.
After lowering her leg, Cipher strode over to Aria, wiggling her fingers and smiling. "Let me help you stretch. Don't worry, it won't hurt at all!"
"E-eh?! E-eh?!" Aria protested, her face etched with fear, but she couldn't escape Cipher's grasp. Cipher gently pressed her onto the bed and slowly pushed her leg down.
Then, on her very first attempt, Aria flawlessly executed a perfect split. Both of them froze in astonishment.
"I-it really doesn't hurt!" Aria stammered in disbelief.
Cipher, however, wore a thoughtful expression. Can the Authority of Trickery really accomplish something like this? she wondered.
She distinctly felt a tiny sliver of her mana being consumed. Though almost negligible, it was undeniable proof that Aria, despite her fearful words, had subconsciously believed Cipher's claim that splits weren't difficult. And because of that belief, she had succeeded!
Wouldn't that mean that, theoretically, if Cipher could convince Aria she was invincible, and Aria believed it, she would actually become invincible?
No, that couldn't be right. The lie was only working because it was just Cipher and Aria, like in the washroom. If a third person appeared, the lie would immediately unravel.
So, to truly make Aria invincible, it wasn't enough for her to believe it herself. Everyone in the "world" implied by "invincible" would also have to believe in her invincibility for the lie to take effect.
Similarly, if they wanted Aria to maintain this extraordinary flexibility on the battlefield, her enemies would also have to believe the lie. But that was utterly unrealistic. They couldn't exactly have a yoga session with their opponents before the battle, could they?
Right now, Aria believed Cipher's nonsense and thought her body was incredibly flexible, capable of effortlessly performing any pose. But what would happen on the battlefield when she tried to evade an enemy attack with her supposedly limber body and suddenly threw out her back? That could be fatal!
Cipher decisively deactivated her Authority. Yes, the Divine Authority of Trickery could be shut off at will.
The immediate result was that Aria, who was lying on the bed, suddenly cried out, "Hisss—! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
Aria immediately rolled onto her side, clutching her inner thighs with both hands and grimacing in pain. Cipher, seeing this, awkwardly averted her gaze as her cat tail coiled around her right calf, wrapping around it several times.
Of course, Aria had no idea that Cipher was the one responsible. After a moment of recovery, she said with a puzzled expression, "That's so weird. Why didn't it hurt at first, but then it suddenly started?"
Cipher shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? Maybe your body just didn't react right away. Anyway, that's not the point. The important thing is that you managed to do it, right?"
Aria pouted. "But it really hurt just now..."
Cipher reassured her, "It's okay. You're young. Just keep practicing, and your body will gradually adapt."
Afterward, Cipher taught Aria several stretching exercises, urging, "If you have time, come running with me sometime. It's good for your body, and you need to exercise more instead of staying cooped up all the time."
The next morning, before officially departing Cloudsea City, the group naturally needed to restock their supplies. Chaos City was incredibly far away, requiring a journey across nearly a third of the All Nations Alliance's territory, so they needed to prepare as thoroughly as possible.
The task of procuring supplies fell to Cipher and Feidric, who had woken up the earliest. However, when they arrived at Cloudsea City's marketplace, they found it eerily deserted, a stark contrast to the bustling crowds they had seen before.
News of the King's death had spread throughout the city in the past day. Worse, a rumor had surfaced from nowhere, claiming that His Majesty the King had deliberately orchestrated the famines of recent years, and that the massive spear that had plunged from the heavens the previous day was divine retribution, pinning the King beneath its weight!
The Old King had children, and theoretically, the Crown Prince should now ascend the throne. But given this scandalous rumor, the succession seemed unlikely to proceed smoothly.
Cloudsea City was currently divided into roughly three factions. First, there were the Old King's loyalists—courtiers and Royal Guards—who were now protecting the Crown Prince.
Second, the city's noble factions naturally seized this opportunity to launch their power plays, seeking to wrest more authority from the Crown Prince.
Third, the wealthier commoners, upon hearing the news, experienced a rapid decline in their trust in the Grand Duchy of Kandela. They began hoarding their assets and contemplating escape routes.
As for the merchant class, the vast majority had fled the city in terror overnight, leaving behind only the dregs of their ranks.
This explained why Cipher and Feidric found only three shops open during their stroll through the market: a weapons store, a bookstore, and a beverage stall.
After questioning a few passersby and learning the reason, Feidric declared without hesitation, "That so-called 'rumor' was probably spread by Dio."
Cipher's cat ears twitched slightly. "Why do you say that?"
Feidric explained, "It's clear the Empire is preparing for war against the Alliance. Even if the Alliance doesn't strike first, the Empire will eventually seize this territory. As an Alliance member, Dio is simply acting preemptively."
"By releasing this information now and undermining the Royal Family's reputation, he's making it easier for the Alliance to annex the region later."
"Though... in a sense, this is no different from an invasion, but frankly, for the people of this country, being conquered by the Alliance is far preferable to being conquered by the Empire."
As they spoke, they passed a beverage shop. Cipher glanced inside and noticed rows of wooden barrels filled with various wines and liquors. Just as they were about to leave, her eyes landed on a barrel filled with a bright orange liquid. She stopped and asked curiously, "What's this?"
The shopkeeper replied, "It's a new beverage imported from the All Nations Alliance. It's sweet and very popular with young ladies. Would you like to try a glass, lovely miss?"
"Orange and sweet?" Cipher's first thought was orange juice. Without hesitation, she said, "Please give me a glass!"
At her request, the shopkeeper first produced several enormous leaves of an unidentifiable variety. After skillfully folding them, he miraculously fashioned them into the shape of a cup. He filled it to the brim from a wooden barrel, then opened a nearby chest, retrieved two ice cubes and a green 'straw,' and placed them in the cup. With that, a specially chilled drink was ready.
Cipher dazedly accepted the beverage, completely surprised by its unexpected sophistication. Of course, the price was equally extravagant, clearly beyond the reach of ordinary people.
She gently bit down on the green 'straw'—actually the rhizome of some plant, but perfectly functional as a straw.
Instantly, an icy-cool, slightly sweet liquid flowed into her mouth. Cipher narrowed her eyes, pursed her lips, and wore a blissfully happy expression. The taste... it was just like diluted orange juice with pulp from her previous life!